Cocijo's Epitaph - End of a War?
21 Dec 2024Kasumi Goto
"Everyone, in their panicked responses of fear, sees - even celebrates - the fall of the last Titan as a finality, an end to the war with the Thargoids. But I'm not sure if it actually is that, or the events in Sol merely set the stage for their next move. Even as Cocijo's shadow over Earth fades, the threat remains, lurking in the darkness."
Sol
December 18, 3310
Early morning
"Kira, your stress levels are dangerously high."
I ignored the AI's warning... or pleading, if it wasn't both, and focused on what was ahead. I wanted to do this, and I was going to do it. No matter anyone's objections.
"Kira, I know what this means to you, but please, reconsider. Your blood pressure is extremely elevated and approaching harmful levels. I am also detecting negative responses to your state throughout your body."
I sighed, and relaxed the cramped grip I held on the controls. Looking at my hands, they were visibly trembling, and I could feel the muscles in the entire body doing the same, taking all the possible mental effort to retain some kind of control over them. I could feel the Titan's pain as it slowly overheated and cooked to death, a fate that was all too certain when it came to Sol. Every explosion, external or internal, sent a jolt and shudder through me, every 'scream' of the Titan a hot, painful needle drilling into my mind. It was barely enough to not be driven insane by it.
I knew she was right. I hated being here with every fiber of my body, organic or biomechanical. But I had to be here, see this for myself, the consequences of our panic, and blind fear responses to a 'threat', with considerably little attempts made to understand it or the reasons of its presence, which some forces further ensured by dragging people in with the promise of a shiny reward... it was so predictable.
Though I wasn't just here to watch. Maybe... to prove something, to myself.
I checked the state of the cargo hold. Still loaded with the limpets put in, and all of the necessary things I needed to retrieve captives from the Titan before it was incinerated. All inside of a relatively newly purchased T8 from last month, which I did not feel comfortable being in, especially in this situation... but it carried the most cargo which could be for a medium ship, and I would have hated bringing a lumbering brick of a Cutter into here. It was too fancy of a ship for my general tastes, anyway.
One hour remained until the heat buildup caused the fusion reaction inside the Titan's reactor to reach a runaway point and destroyed everything which remained nearby. Hopefully, that was enough for me to get the available cargo space filled and moved to what I deemed a safe distance, not knowing how this final Titan might act in its last moments. And I, even with all my misgivings, had no interest in remaining near a nuclear bomb which destroyed most of a giant Thargoid ship that was invulnerable by any conventional means.
Nor did I want to be right here, for any longer than I needed to be. Once I had the pods, I'd be gone out of this cloud. And with the Thargoids more preoccupied evacuating their doomed mothership, there was little interference, making it a much faster task than it would have been normally... with the exception of the annoying Scythe limpets taking pods themselves even though they were often not picked up before the Scythe entered its portal, while there was very little I could be doing about it. I had only fitted the one missile launcher necessary to free the pods from the Titan, in the ship's hardpoints.
At least it gave me something to focus on instead of all the horrible sensations and noise from the outside, not to mention the one inside. Without that... I couldn't have done it, to be here. And I felt that I at least owed it to try rescuing captives from a Titan before it was destroyed, once, like it had been done for me many months ago before the attacks on them started, without any expectation of repayment. And now I was at odds with the person - friend - behind that rescue. Another reason to hate this war and its madness.
With about twenty minutes left to go when I'd filled my hold, I turned away from the Titan and directly toward the sun. It was the best orientation point out of it. Also ordering the caustic sink to be refilled with what little materials I had to do it - only enough for one time - so I could safely exit without risking to lose any pods from heat damage, I began hitting the boost once clear of the asteroids and the caustic mines within the field. From there, as soon as I was clear of the corrosive cloud, I turned the ship around and toggled off flight assist while facing the cloud's center, where the navigation marker pointed.
At the five-hundred kilometer mark, I brought the ship to a halt, and waited. It was far enough that the ship's computer stopped playing the dreadful dying sounds of the Titan, but I could still feel them. War or not, no living thing was supposed to go through such an agonizing experience. And yet there were idiots who not only enjoyed inflicting this kind of pain, but also boasted about how they were ready to bring the war to the home space of the Thargoids after this. And they were being the loudest right now.
I closely watched the timer of the Titan's expected detonation.
When it fell to zero, it felt like time stopped for a moment, and everything was as quiet as vacuum. Many bolts of lightning rapidly shot across the cloud protecting the Titan, before a bright orange glow emanated from the center, followed by a massive energy wave shooting out, repelling any ships from the center like it had been with Taranis.
That experience... unpleasant as it was... at least saved me from the shock this time. The cloud darkened again, momentarily, only the eerie creaking of the deteriorating ship filling the cockpit. A loud, deep bang occurred before additional detonations at its very core began shining through the caustic gas, for another minute as they picked up in intensity and frequency. Even knowing what would happen, I still dreaded this moment, and steeled my mind for it as best as I could, my eyes remaining deadlocked on the center.
The low, sad wail of the Titan before its death began, broadcasting its imminent demise, and I already knew some would be thirsting over this moment. But not me. It felt as if the universe held its breath for a split second as the Thargoid ship gave off its final-high-pitched sound... and a bright, caustic star momentarily lit up in its place.
What followed almost immediately after the blast wave began spreading, however, unsettled me. Not only could I feel a final, powerful broadcast or call coming from the Titan, but a loud howl that I had never heard before, and which rapidly transitioned into a series of increasingly rapid, whisper-like and other unnatural sounds mixed in, continuing until the blast wave ceased spreading and seemingly collapsed in on itself. It washed over me like a wave, knocking aside of the other sensations I'd been perceiving, perfectly understanding that Cocijo had just sent something out, far beyond human space, for a recipient that wasn't us - it sent a shiver down my spine. This was powerful enough that Seo had to have felt it too, even if she was not here.
Just as it felt like silence began to settle in, and the Titan's 'voice' fully faded away - there was something else, piercing into my mind all of a sudden. And it also played over the speakers. Another distinctly alien-sounding signal, but it wasn't coming from the wreck. Or didn't feel like it - something was answering, its signal pulse consisting of a short leadup before loud, 'buzzing', almost abrasive sounds followed, with a very brief pause before another of the sounds followed, and the same noise leading into it signalled the end of this, signal, but lasting a few seconds before it faded. And the first one already left me unsettled, but now I just felt uneasy.
And, somewhere in all that, I realized, there was something for me.
You were warned not to interfere.
Then it was quiet. There were no more Thargoids in Sol, the Titan had been defeated, and humanity's birthplace was safe. The noise of the Thargoids, receded into almost unnoticeable background chatter. Almost... tolerable, after weeks of being very active thanks to what happened here, in Sol, until now.
Yet it was not a victorious silence. Instead, it was an uneasy one. Foremost on my mind, questions revolving at the 'message' directed at me. What it meant, if it had any consequences on me directly when at least these Thargoids didn't seem to be too interested in my direct well-being, whether it was directed at the individual that I was or humans in general, if it was sent by the Titan or through it... and how I could understand it when that wasn't knowledge I had in my head, yet almost everything else was unintelligible noise from which I could only gleam superficial impressions or basic intent, if that.
But the 'signal' from Cocijo equally concerned me. It had already been obvious to me that there was a larger purpose at play with an act as bold as heading right to the homeworld of humanity, even if it didn't have any extremely important strategic value any longer. Only cultural, but it seemed that was enough to rally everybody together. Yet not to make most of those angry, self-proclaimed defenders of mankind think twice about why it required a Titan to commit such a suicidal charge instead of sending forces ahead of or separate from it.
I knew EDI would have saved these sensor recordings for me to look at their 'sound' later, so I hadn't said anything about it. The hivemind's silence, I knew, was not one because they'd fully retreated from human space with no intention of ever returning. These periods of relative quiet had always coincided with it planning, and I knew they were doing exactly that right now. Whether that response to the Titan's call was an acknowledgment or promising support to a recipient who could no longer receive it, something would follow. Whether it was now, weeks, or even months from here... I had no doubts the Thargoids were far from being done, and that they had found precisely what they'd come to Sol for.
A message ping drew me out of my thought bubbles. It was from the Pilot's Federation regarding the Titan's destruction.
Commander,
Titan Cocijo has experienced a catastrophic structural failure. The final Thargoid mothership is no longer operational, and the Thargoids are abandoning the Sol system.
This should be considered a significant victory for humankind. This last, desperate assault by Thargoids on our home system is the gravest threat Earth has ever faced, and we have successfully repelled it.
For now, it appears the Thargoid invasion is over. We have received no further reports indicating Thargoid threats in our populated systems, and no Titans remain to direct invasion fleets.
Take pride in our accomplishments over the past two years, Commander. The Pilot's Federation has once again proved its importance, and we have prevented what may have been a catastrophic age in human history had the Thargoids triumphed.
Rewards will be distributed to all Commanders who signed up to the defense efforts, for collection at Rescue Ship Hutner in the Luyten's Star systen.
Warmest regards,
The Pilot's Federation
I shook my head at this. It wasn't a 'desperate final stand', but a calculated use of their final Titan in this invasion force, to find... whatever it was they were after, which they were certain they could in Sol. And I was certain they had, whether they'd obtained it or not. Even information would be enough for them to act on. The fact they chose to retreat from Sol prematurely, and seemingly in a planned way, even before the Titan was destroyed... it all spoke of another goal than pure destruction, as humans ignorantly assumed.
All of this was just all too human perception. I sighed, not knowing fully if I was annoyed at the ignorance itself or that it was blinding people from the Thargoids' ulterior motives, and looked at EDI's holo-projector.
"Do you think the Thargoids are really going to stay away?" The question was posed in a, simply, tired tone. Both mentally, and physically... sleep hadn't come easy the last few days.
"Given previous historical evidence, it seems unlikely the Thargoids will permanently retreat from human space, and the probabilities of another escalation are much higher.", the AI answered. "They may simply retreat for some time, in order to change their approach, and determine how to best utilize what they may have found out in this attack."
So we were on the same page on this. Not knowing what else to say, I momentarily put my head into my hands, then looked out at the dead remains of the Titan, glowing in a bright orange still. It would be some time before that was accessible, but other than determining if the strange signal which played at the other wrecks also was there, I had no reason - or interest - in going there. It felt less like a memorial to a victorious war, and more a sign of things still to come. What mattered now was how many would heed it.
I pulled myself away from the sight and plugged in a jump to Luyten's Star. I still had 320 people waiting to be delivered to safety, and even if I didn't know whether they could pose a risk in the future, just leaving them to die based on a presumption which had no evidence whatsoever backing it, was wrong.
The following day
Connecting...
Secure link established.
Communication channel open.
The monitor briefly turned black before a video feed came to life. Alba's office still looked a little messy, but given the chaos of the last two weeks, that was to be expected.
"Hello, Kira.", she greeted. "I hope you slept well?"
I gave off a light grumbling sound and made a throwaway hand gesture, before answering. "Better than the last few days, now that there's some quiet."
"I'm sorry you've had to endure this. But - "
I interrupted. "I know, I know. You can't control it, Thargoids do what they want."
I breathed deeply.
"How are things, where you are?"
"Still repairing the damage. But even with the targeted attack of the Thargoids, the defense of the Orunmilla diverted enough of them away that we were spared the worst of it."
"That, is... good, I guess." Relief would have been an understatement.
"I know why you ask. But rest assured, we made sure she's safe above all."
What else was I supposed to say to that? There was a bit of quiet, before I spoke up again.
"So... you know, about that," I twirled my hand in the air, looking for a good way to describe it. "thing, the Titan did, before it died?"
Alba nodded. "Yes. We're looking into it, but unless or until there is a reason for concern, this is staying internal for now. I believe everyone wants some respite from this war."
Couldn't argue with that. "I don't have much to say to it. I think it sent something out and received an answer, but what it was all for ..."
I shrugged, showing cluelessness.
"I just don't think this war is done yet, even if everyone wants to think it is."
"Even if it isn't", Alba cautiously continued. "We might have a few weeks to try and prepare, or simply take some time off. Which I would suggest you do. The last two years must have been very stressful for you."
An understatement, I thought to myself, then replied. "You don't even know."
"I simply hope it will be better for you, even for just a short time. What does the noise tell you, right now, if you don't mind?"
Another shrug was my first, instinctual response. "It has gone... very quiet. Barely noticeable background sound. But I think they are just planning."
"And ...?"
"And... that is all. I know nothing else, yet. And am just happy to have a clear head for a few days."
Alba nodded, not digging deeper. "Of course. Will you come back yet?"
I shook my head lightly. "No. You... repair first. Then, I come back. Want to go into space, for... a little bit. Just me and the quiet."
And my ship.
"I understand.", she cautiously said. "But remain careful. We don't know where the Thargoids out there might be, or if they are aggressive as the invasion fleets were."
"I can run, if needed. It will be fine."
"I trust your judgement on this matter. Though, perhaps you'd like to speak with Seo before leaving."
I hesitated, momentarily. "... I, will... when I come back. Maybe, a few weeks. Don't know. Will not be out for, very long, I think. Certainly not months."
"Very well. As it seems you're all right, I should get back to it now. You can always call if you need it, of course. As I might if I need your input on something."
I raised a hand slightly before putting it back down on the knee. "You know you can reach me."
She simply nodded, and the connection ended. We weren't that close that goodbyes for a simple call checking up on me were necessary.
I took a breath, and just... sat there, for a moment, thinking. About where things could possibly go... but didn't get much where with it. Because I couldn't have any good clue about it. I'd spent some time reviewing the audio recorded by the sensors of the ship at the moment of Cocijo's destruction, and wasn't any more assured about its meaning than before. The things which I had found, were that some parts of the 'noise' which occurred during the detonation bore resemblance to whatever it was that responded to it.
And it was definitely different to the... 'roar' which had occurred in HIP 22460 after the Proteus Wave had been subverted by Salvation, only the timings seemed slightly identical, further cementing the idea that whatever was going to follow would be very different to the Titan incursion which we had just experienced. Alba would already have been aware of the differences in 'sound' to these things, so I saw no point in mentioning it to her. And though I wasn't sure why she didn't address the subject of the noise found at the Titan wreck sites, I was glad for that... something about it made me feel even more uneasy than what I'd heard at the final Titan's destruction.
The positive in this was that that other curved friend of mine, Jana, had already delivered one of the Titan drive components that were for some reason asked to get one of the pre-engineered SCO drives, and another Thargoid material required to get it, as I'd asked for. Definitely someone I could consider trustworthy, as time proved repeatedly. She also looked good.
Once I had that special super-drive, I'd set off for outside the Bubble, just to explore some places. Take my mind off things, focus on myself... just be a lazy, round kind of human thing with an excessively thick lower half and oversized chest, which would undoubtedly be unwarranted but welcome distractions. Because if there was one thing I knew...
This war was not close to being over. And if I didn't come to it, it would definitely find me. So I wanted to make as much use of the time I had as I could.